NYC payphones begin transition to Wi-Fi hotspots

Since it seems like most everyone has a cell phone these days, the need for payphones has predictably plummeted. So, what are we going to do with all of those sad-looking payphone kiosks now that no one is using them? New York City has a pretty excellent idea: turn them into free Wi-Fi hotspots.

Today New York City began rolling out a plan that will see many of the city’s old payphone kiosks turned into wireless access points. So far, only 10 kiosks have been converted to 24/7 hotspots across Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, with the plan being to eventually set up many more hotspots across all five boroughs. Have a look at the list of locations where these hotspots are now up and running, courtesy of Gothamist:

Kiosks equipped with Wi-Fi service will have the words “Free Wi-Fi” plastered all over them, and once you’re within range of the signal (100-200 feet), all you need to do is select the “Free Wi-Fi” option on your device and agree to the terms of use. When you’re finished with that, you’re free to browse the internet at your leisure.